carrot cake Archives

Ina Garten’s Country Cake with Strawberries (The Comeback Cake)

By threejamigos | June 28, 2023 | Comments 0 Comment

When my oldest was a tyke his favorite cake was the Barefoot Contessa’s Strawberry Country Cake. This was his cake of choice for his birthday for quite a few years… Then Along Came Daddy (his Carrot Cake actually) that put the kibosh on the strawberry cake, so sad. After I shoved my ego aside, I was FINE with Wes’s Carrot Cake becoming the birthday cake of choice. It is pretty damn tasty.

The other birthday tradition we have, which thankfully has stayed the same, is going to a Giants game. His birthday is in June, right about the time baseball is in full swing and school is out for the summer. This year was no exception, we planned the perfect day for his b-day.

Giants versus the Cubbies plus SF Giants Pride Jerseys for the first 20K fans, dinner at our favorite neighborhood Chinese Restaurant, Gourmet Carousel (which recently re-opened with the OG owners-yay), and to round out the day, birthday cake at home.

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

Every year around this time, when the weather warms up, the days are longer, this thought pops into my head, “Hey, shouldn’t P&K Farms Strawberries and Triple Delight Blueberries be showing up soon?”. As luck would have it, both P&K and Triple Delight were at the Farmer’s Market the week of his birthday. I made a command decision…Ina’s Country Cake with Strawberries for his birthday this year, NOT Carrot Cake. He’s a big boy, he can handle it.

It Was A Hit, He Loved It

This version of Ina Garten’s Country Cake with Strawberries is from a long-ago issue of Food & Wine. If you Google Ina Garten’s Strawberry Country Cake you will find multiple sites that have published her recipe. Why Food & Wine’s version? First, I had a subscription to F&W back in the day and that’s where I found the recipe. Second, the recipe makes a single-layer cake that you split into two layers. Finally, the recipe calls for large eggs. Barefoot Contessa fans know she often uses extra-large eggs in her recipes (which I rarely buy). So this version is my go-to. I baked another one and ended up freezing it. We pulled it out of the freezer on Father’s Day and left it on the counter to thaw. It was delicious, so feel free to use one of the double recipes and freeze the second layer for another day!

I adore this cake, it is buttery, has a nice crumb, and is not too sweet. Classic prep, cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time, and then the sour cream and zest. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with each addition. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until the batter is well combined and homogenous looking but do not overbeat. The addition of lemon and orange zest adds a refreshing citrus hint that is terrific with berries. Sour cream adds a hint of tang and moisture to the cake. Spread batter into an 8-inch round cake pan that has been buttered and floured or sprayed. The batter is fairly thick, not pourable, and will need an offset spatula to spread evenly in the cake pan.

I would increase the amount of whipping cream to 1-1/2 cups, and decrease the sugar to 2 tablespoons, especially if your berries are sweet. Your whipped cream fans will be happy.

Split the cake into two layers. The easiest way I know how to do this is with a serrated bread knife. Place knife level to at the midline of your cake and slice through to the middle only, keeping your knife level. Rotate the cake and continue to slice from the outside to the middle. The first cut acts as your knife’s guide for an even cake. Easy peasy.

Whip It, Whip It Good

Start with heavy whipping cream, preferably pasteurized, not ultra-pasteurized, which is heated to a higher temperature and does not whip as well. Heavy whipping cream has a higher percentage of butterfat than whipping cream (36% vs 30%) and heck, it’s dessert, so we are going for the gusto. Chill your heavy whipping cream, bowl, and whisk attachment before whipping. This kickstarts the process and results in the lightest whipped cream possible. Place the cream, sugar, and vanilla in the chilled bowl and whisk at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. You want peaks that will stand up but the tip will slowly fold over. Don’t overdo it, if the cream looks a bit grainy, or curdled that’s too far. If you go too far, add a bit of heavy cream and fold it in with a spatula. This will loosen the whipped cream and smooth it out again.

This is what your whipped cream should look like.

Plop a generous amount of cream on the bottom layer of your split cake. Spread to the edge leaving a small border. Arrange your berries on the cream. If you like, dice the strawberries for this layer, so you can maximize the number of berries. Top with the second split layer cut side down and top with the remaining cream. Arrange halved strawberries in a cool pattern, and place blueberries and raspberries, if using, in the center of the cake or scatter blueberries in the crevices between the strawberries. Serve to oohs and ahhs from the cake gallery.

Add this cake to your Bake It Bucket List. Now.

Country Cake With Strawberries and Whipped Cream

Like a family sized Shortcake, Ina Garten's iconic Strawberry Country Cake

Course Cake, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword barefoot contessa, cake, ina garten, shortcake, strawberries, whipped cream

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 37

Servings 8

Equipment

1 8-inch cake pan

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Creamed Mixture

6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping

1 cup heavy cream I use`1.5 cups of heavey whipping cream!
3 tablespoons granulated sugar adjust sugar to taste, I use 1.5 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint strawberries or berry medley hulled and sliced, blueberries and raspberries left whole

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan. In a medium bowl, sift the flour with the cornstarch, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add the 3/4 cup of sugar and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the sour cream, the orange and lemon zests and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla and beat until blended. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until smooth.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or until golden and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 15 minutes before turning it out onto the rack to cool completely.
Beat the cream with the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla until soft peaks form.
Slice the cake in half horizontally. Spread most of the whipped cream over the cut side of the bottom cake half. Layer most of the sliced strawberries on top. Replace the top half of the cake and garnish with the remaining whipped cream and strawberries. make ahead .

Notes

The cake can be frozen for up to 1 month. Let it cool completely before wrapping in plastic and then foil. The assembled cake can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead.

…

Oh Birthday Cake, My Carrot Cake

By threejamigos | June 15, 2016 | Comments 1 comment

We celebrated Jeffrey and my brother’s birthdays yesterday. Yes, they share the same birthday…but many, MANY years apart. I remember sitting on the couch dreading each new contraction while my family celebrated my brother’s birthday chomping on big juicy rib-eye steaks off the grill. The meal was cut short when I “exclaimed” through gritted teeth, “I think I need to go to the hospital, YOU (referring to my brother) will have to take your birthday cake home.” That was twenty-two years ago. Wow, time flies.

24 Carrot Gold Recipe

The tradition of celebrating every birthday with Wes’s delicious carrot cake would not exist if not for a college girlfriend (his roommate’s), a classmate’s birthday, and a bag of carrots. After finding a lone bag of carrots in their fridge, John’s girlfriend decided to bake a carrot cake for their classmate’s birthday. Thus began the love affair between Wes and Carrot Cake (tough competition for me, lol). He can’t recall the girlfriend’s name or the classmate’s whose birthday they celebrated. But luckily he asked her for the recipe and the rest is, as they say, history.

Over the years he has modified it to his liking. Out went the nuts and shredded coconut, and in went raisins. He doubled the luscious cream cheese frosting, because everyone knows you can never have too much frosting. He also cut the sugar to temper the sweetness. This is a classic American cake; spicy, moist, sweet, peppered with pineapple and raisins, and finished with a buttery sweet cream cheese frosting. YUM.

One Bowl Babee

That’s how simple and easy this cake is, you can make it in one bowl and a spoon or whisk. Wes pulls out an old tattered goldenrod Tupperware bowl (yes goldenrod, circa 1987), a whisk, and a grater when he makes his signature cake. That’s it. Grate the carrots on the small holes of the grater. He likes a denser cake and often throws the pineapple in without draining. I have convinced him to drain the pineapple for a lighter, less dense cake. Bake the cake in a 9×13 rectangular cake, or 2-9×2-inch circular pans, or even a muffin tin for cupcakes. Throw in some nuts if you like (Wes never does), walnuts are usually the nut of choice.

Frost, Frost Baby

Tips for the cream cheese frosting: Start with slightly softened butter but not warm, whip the butter first, add the cream cheese and continue to whip the two until light and creamy before adding the sugar. Once the sugar is added, beat just long enough to fully incorporate the sugar, and then STOP. Overbeating after adding the powdered sugar will cause the frosting to lose its structure.

I crossed out the above section just to show that baking and cooking is not static. You’re always tweaking, or changing something in hopes of making it better. I have revised how to make Cream Cheese Frosting. I love Zoe Bakes, and her carrot cake episode has step-by-step instructions for making Cream Cheese Frosting. The frosting comes out smooth, luscious, and creamy. This prompted me to give my favorite frosting its own post.

So there you have it, hubby’s two, no, now four, favorite recipes, Good Cookies, Carrot Cake, Foil wrapped Chicken (coming), and his famous Super Bowl Tuna Dip. I’m not jealous, credit is like community property in California, I get half the credit, right? In fact…

I think I will have a slice of cake right now.

Happy Birthday, Anson and Jeffrey!

5 from 1 vote

Birthday Cake, Carrot Cake

Hubby’s carrot cake that is the fam’s cake of choice for birthday celebrations….no I’m not annoyed…not at all, lol.

Course Cake, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Carrot cake, Carrots, cream cheese frosting

Prep Time 23

Cook Time 1

Ingredients

Cake

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients Part 1

3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar

Wet Ingredients Part 2

3/4 cup low fat buttermilk
2 cups grated carrots use small holes of grater
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 8 oz. Can Crushed pineapple in pineapple juice See notes
1 cup Regular raisins Can sub golden raisins if you like.

Frosting:

1 stick salted butter 4oz
1 8-ounce brick of cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar sifted
2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350. Rack should be in center of oven
Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.
Combine the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside.
Beat oil, eggs and sugar together in a large bowl
Add the dry ingredients to the oil-egg mixture along with the rest of the ingredients (wet ingredients part 2) and stir with a whisk until well mixed.
Pour into pan and bake for 45-50 minutes.
Bake for 60 minutes if using the 10 inch round cake pan.
Bake for 25 minutes if making cupcakes.
Cake is done when the top is a rich golden brown, a tester should come out with just a few crumbs and relatively clean.

Frosting:

Using a mixer, on medium speed beat butter until softened and slightly creamy.
Add cream cheese and vanilla, beat until well incorporated and mixture is light and creamy
Sift sugar over mixture and mix until combined and to desired consistency. Don't overbeat!
Use 1-1/2 recipe of frosting for 9x13 cake out of pan, single layer or cupcakes
For two layer cake double frosting recipe

Notes

For a denser cake use the pineapple without draining. For a cakier, lighter, texture drain the pineapple before adding. I personally like draining the pineapple, hubby has begrudgingly started to do this although he probably does leave a bit in. Marriage is always a compromise 😉

Update!

The first of the 3jamigos got married in April of 2024! Her request was for “Daddy” to make her wedding cake. It turned out beautifully